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Will a ban on alcohol advertising resolve the ills attributed to
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Information dissemination to vis- ers, this new information service in contributing and adding to con- staff or contacting the relevant
itors in the Kruger National Park will provide visitors with content servation and tourism initiatives. park officials for more infor“The expectations from the pub- mation;”
concluded
Mabasa.
(KNP) is about to get a whole lot such as updates on developments
Philip Fourie commented: “We
better as a result of Anglo Ameri- in the park, a reminder of the park lic are changing and amongst othcan’s generous donation of 27 flat rules and regulations, emergen- ers, they are looking for speedy see the handover of the screens
television screens to the Park. The cies such as road closures, events access to information. As a re- and the signing of a memorantelevisions were handed over by and campaigns, scientific research, sult, we are looking to introduce dum of understanding as the bePhillip Fourie, head of safety and rare animal sightings and more. the kind of communication and ginning of co-operation between
sustainable development for Anglo
The screens have been installed marketing tool which affords us the two organisations – for the
American’s thermal coal business and are already in use at the Paul the opportunity to communicate benefit of the country. Anglo
to the General Manager Commu- Kruger gate and camp receptions. in an interactive manner with our American believes that the imnications and Marketing, William With the use of information com- tourists”, said William Mabasa. pact of mining should be positive
“Like broadcast media, these and to the benefit of South Africa,
Mabasa of the KNP last week. munication driven technology fast
The idea is for the KNP to pass spreading in almost all spheres of TV screens will permit us to dis- its people and the environment.
We look forward to a long and
on information to visitors at a human, social and economic en- seminate information almost inpartnership
with
much faster rate than in the past deavours, Anglo American came stantly and thereby allow tour- successful
by making use of text, images, on board after indicating to the ists to respond, by either making the Kruger National Park”.
audio and video. Amongst oth- KNP management their interest follow-ups with our front office

Authentic Quality Safari Clothing,
Lodge Uniforms and Outdoor gear
for any African bush adventure.
Retail shop located in
Hoedspruit for convenience.
Greater Hoedspruit area and
Retail shop under new ownership.

I came across this a while back
and thought that I would share my
favourite ones with you… Enjoy
the Bushveld Times’ 7th Edition!
Often those who aren’t the easiest
to love are the ones who need it

the most.
Money is not the root of all evil,
fear is.
The secret to happiness is the acceptance of yourself.
Happiness is not based on external
status, it is an internal state.
Coming is going, going is coming.
Spend time alone with yourself
every day.
Always go with yourself, never
against yourself.
Music is one of the most supreme
expressions of life. It is art in its
most transitory form. It is gone
within an instant, and therefore,
extremely precious.
Our thoughts and Prayers go out
to those who lost special people in
their lives recently...

Clamp-down on illegitimate
rhino projects
The Department of Environmental
Affairs has called on Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs), Non-Government
Organisations (NGOs), businesses
and individuals involved in fighting
rhino poaching
to register with
the Department
by September
30. “This is part
of an initiative
to rid the sector
of illegitimate
and ill-intended
operations and
to ensure greater
legitimacy of
organisations and individuals involved
in projects aimed at addressing rhino
poaching in South Africa”, the Department said in a statement.
The aims of the registration process
include - ridding the industry of illegitimate operations and ensuring that
funding is channelled to the relevant,
identified projects; establishing a
register of rhino projects, including
but not limited to fundraising, antipoaching, safety and security, support

r

and conservation initiatives; confirming the registration of rhino-related
NPOs with the Department of Social
Development; and identifying priority
areas that require additional assistance.
The Department has also
announced plans
to establish a
National Rhino
Fund to co-ordinate the financing
of anti-poaching
initiatives. The
establishment
of the fund and
database are
among the recommendations being
implemented following the adoption
of the Rhino Issue Management report
by Cabinet earlier this year. All NPOs,
NGOs, organisations and individuals involved in raising awareness or
funding to address rhino poaching are
requested to contact Olga Kumalo
through e-mail okumalo@environment.gov.za - Tourism Update - www.
tourismupdate.co.za

Continuing on with the Consumer Protection theme from previous editions of the Bushveld
Times, I thought I would cover a
lesser known section of the Act
and Regulations that deals with
the consumer’s right to disclosure
and information when it comes to
the price of goods and services.
Section 23 of the Consumer Protection Act, which deals with the disclosure of price of goods or services,
will certainly impact many sectors
of our economy more especially
the retail and hospitality industries.
Essentially this provision requires that a retailer must not display any goods or services for sale
without displaying to the consumer
a price in relation to those goods or
services. This may be done in vari-

ous ways but must be displayed in
such a manner that it may reasonably be inferred that the price represented is the price applicable to
the goods or services in question.
For example, a retailer may not
exhibit any goods for sale without
first displaying a price in relation
to those goods or services. The
only exception to this is when
the goods and or services are displayed predominantly in the form
of an advertisement. A further interesting point is that a supplier
cannot require a consumer to pay
a price for any goods or service
higher than the displayed price
and, if more than one price is
displayed, higher than the lower
or lowest of the prices displayed.
However, just in case someone
is tempted, it should be noted that
a supplier is not bound by a price
displayed for any goods or services if an unauthorised person has
altered, defaced, covered, removed
or obscured the price displayed
or authorised by the supplier.
As far as the hospitality industry is
concerned and the restaurant trade

in particular, it will in all probability spell the demise of “SQ” (subject to quotation) menu items. It
will also be interesting to see how
this section would apply to pubs
and bars. It appears to me that all
pubs and bars would be required
to either price the bottles on the
shelves, which is not particularly
practical, or provide some sort of
wine and beverage list covering all
of the products on sale. Whereas
this is common practise in most hotels and restaurants, it may not be
the case in all pubs and bars. Either
way, it is clear that the consumer
has the right to see or be made
aware of the price irrespective of
the nature of the product or service.
It should be noted that the views
expressed above are solely those
of the author and that they should
not be acted upon or implemented
in isolation and must be read in
conjunction with the actual provision of either the Act and or
Regulation to which it applies.
Peter Cumberlege

New plane to support Kruger anti-poaching

Rhinos in the Kruger Park are the they were able to obtain a plane light
victims of an escalating poaching war and strong enough to meet their needs.
in which official statistics say more “We initially used a 4-cylinder Bantam
than 360 have been killed this year light aircraft, which we traded up for
alone. Aerial surveillance is one of the a 6-cylinder Bantam,” Whitfield exmost effective tools game rangers have plains. “Rangers must be able to spot
against the poachers – thanks to a light carcasses and pin down the culprits
aircraft funded by Vox Telecom and quickly to effectively combat poaching
other donors. The Kruger National Park as they tend to concentrate on one area
is home to between 9,000 and 12,000 at a time, often killing several rhino
white rhinos – more than 60% of South during a single incursion into the park.
Africa’s entire white rhino populaUnfortunately, the Park lost their
tion – as well as between 580 and 650 Bantam aircraft last year when it was
of the highly endangered black rhino destroyed in an accident. The Park
species. Roughly 5,5% of the Park’s desperately needed a replacement,
rhino population is lost until 2005 that and hoped to purchase a Bathawk – a
every year due to poaching – about 2
per day – and more than 70% of the
rhinos poached in South Africa every year are killed in the Park itself.
“The Kruger National Park covers an
area of almost 19,633 square kilometres – that’s roughly the size of Israel,”
notes Bryn Pyne-James, senior general
manager for SANParks fundraising.
“Protecting an area that large against
poachers with ground-based vehicles
alone is impossible, but with air support we have a chance.” Efforts to
bring aerial support to the Kruger National Park stems back to 1980s, said
ranger Steven Whitfield, but it wasn’t

HOW TO CONTACT US
Editor: Andri Godrich
Tel: 083 774 2383
Email: andri@bushveldtimes.co.za
Advertising: info@bushveldtimes.
co.za
Website: www.bushveldtimes.co.za
HELP US GET IT RIGHT
The Bushveld Times is committed to
bringing you news you can trust. If you
spot mistakes in our stories, please
point them out to us.
DISTRIBUTION AREAS

plane similar to the Bantam, but produced locally. A chance encounter
between Vox Telecom CEO Jacques
du Toit and Senior General Manager
of San Parks Fundraising, Bryn PyneJames, quickly led to Vox’s decision
to make up the shortfall needed to
purchase the plane, and cover its operating costs. “Conserving our natural
environment is one of the core aims
of our corporate social investment
programme, and this was one of the
most rewarding investments we could
make,” says Vox Telecom Head of
Marketing Clayton Timcke. “This is
providing the real, practical support
the park needs to protect its rhino.”
According to Timcke, the Bathawk
will not be their only contribution to
the conservation effort. “One of our
goals is also to ensure connectivity for both tourists and rangers in the
Park. We are actively engaged with
SANParks to make this goal a reality. ”Pyne-James says the park is raising funds to buy at least four more
Bathawks so that rangers can cover
the area more effectively. “We need
to put the most effective tools into
our rangers’ toolbox, and the aircraft
have proven to be one of the best tools
we have.” Courtesy of SA - the Good
News - http://www.sagoodnews.co.za
WHO ARE WE?

The Bushveld Times thanks all it’s
Graskop, Sabie, Hazyview, White River sponsors and sources that may not be
Phalaborwa, Pilgrims Rest, Hoedspruit
named for various reasons

GET IN TOUCH WITH US: Contact 083 774 2383 or email: info@bushveldtimes.co.za

Thursday, 26 September 2013 The Bushveld Times

Page 3

country’s 24 poorest district municipal areas and Msinga has been
Weekly Poll Results
identified as one of the areas that
into some of the state-owned farms has been most affected by soil eroSmoking in public places, do you
in order to enable them to expand sion.
support?
their farming operations. Speaking
Twenty-seven young people from
on behalf of the Gunjana livestock the local community, who received
farmers during the launch, Mkak- training on disaster management,
eni Mchunu from Msinga village have been deployed as part of the
welcomed the introduction of the environmental rehabilitation of
programme in their village. “We the 42.5 hectares of land where the
have livestock but not enough community members keep their
grazing land. We appreciate not livestock. As part of the roll out
only the opportunity to access of AVMP to the rest of the counm o r e
try, Nkwinti
78.6% voted land, but ‘We appreciate not only the a n n o u n c e d
continuation
of indoor smoking
also the
that the depart14.3%
voted t r a i n - opportunity to access more ment will host
indoor
and
outdoor
ban
ing and
consultaland, but also the training a
7.1%
voted
skills
tive workshop
and skills development’
a total indoor ban
developwhich will be
ment in
attended
by
order to enhance our farming op- ministers and MECs from partner Did you know?
erations.”
government departments, as well
In Hazyview you can dine
The Animal and Veld Manage- as district mayors.
at
the
number one rated resment Programme will reach the
SAnews.gov.za
taurant in the Mpumalanga
Province – Pioneer`s Butcher
& Grill (rating by TripAdvisor)
“Topolino” is the name of a
mouse and an Italian motor car
That the number two rated
restaurant in Hazyview (TripAdvisor) serves “Seafood and Sushi”
That a giraffe uses its 52.5
cm tongue to clean its ears
The Hotel Numbi & Garden
Suites is the only family owned and
managed lowveld hospitality business celebrating its 50th birthday
Hazyview
is
529
metres
above
sea
level
“Oom Paul” Kruger would have
celebrated his 188th birthday
this year and would have been
138 years older than the Numbi
which was established in 1963

Relief for struggling rural farmers

with soil rehabilitation and
re-greening
of the environment. It is
part of gove r n m e n t ’s
intervention
towards
reversing
the
legacy of the
1913 Natives’
Land
Act,
Rural Development and Land
Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti which led to the congestion of the
has unveiled the Animal and Veld majority of black people into 13%
Management Programme (AVMP), of the land, resulting in challenges
which is aimed at providing relief of overcrowding and overgrazing
for farmers in rural areas who are in communal areas.
The department will identify
operating under challenging circumstances made worse by spa- farmers in communal areas who
tial congestion and environmental have shown potential for successful farming. Based on their track
degradation due to overgrazing.
The programme will also help record, such farmers will be moved

First mobile agri-lab established

The Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) has spent R3
million to help establish South
Africa’s first mobile agricultural
laboratory that will enable farmers to have their water, soil and
animals tested on their doorstep.
The lab was recently launched
by non-governmental organisation Mobile Agri Skills Development and Training (MASTD) at

the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport outside Mbombela with Seda’s assistance. “The
benefits of the lab are numerous
and include bringing conformity assessment support closer to
emerging farmers, giving them
access to a testing facility that will
help them in their farm planning
and crop production,” said Seda
spokesperson Beverley Kgame.

South African leads Concordia salvage
The wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise liner was finally pulled
upright off the Italian island of
Giglio last week following a 19hour salvage operation, the biggest such project ever attempted
- led by a South African. Salvage
master Nick Sloane was hired by
US firm Titan Salvage and Italy’s
Micoperi to lead the massive operation to right the 290-metre,
114 000-tonne vessel, which ran
aground off Giglio on 13 January
2012. The salvage was “the biggest
for a passenger ship ever undertaken, and the position of the hulk
posed unique challenges to the
500-person international salvage
team,” news agency AFP reported.
According to AFP, the ship
was dragged upright by means
of 36 cables strapped across the

hull, with giant water-filled tanks
“the size of 11-storey buildings”
welded onto the side of the Costa
Concordia to act as ballast. “The
man who gave the orders from
a control room on a barge next
to the ship was Nick Sloane, a
South African with experience on
some of the world’s biggest shipwrecks,” AFP reported. The news
agency quoted Sloane as saying
afterwards: “I’m relieved. It was
a bit of a rollercoaster ... the scale
of it was something we’ve never
seen before.” Project overseer
Franco Gabrielli told AFP that the
newly exposed side of the wreck
would need “major repairs” before
the vessel could be towed away
for scrapping, which would only
happen next year at the earliest.
Courtesy of SAinfo

Laughter is the best medicine
It is said that laughter is the best
medicine. The Up, an organisation that brings joy to humanity is
proving this to be true. Nikki Jackman the founder, explains how it
all got started, “After choosing to
use my talents for a greater purpose, I researched laughter therapy
and hospital clowning. I saw the
gap that there was to bring extra
emotional care to sick and traumatised children and so The UP
was born in 2003”. Working with
numerous hospitals in the Western Cape and Gauteng, Up Care
Clowns are trained and committed to visiting weekly or monthly
as a group. “A Care Clown is the
best version of you,” Jackman
says, “It’s the child-like all loving, non-judgmental, awesomely
creative and enthusiastic being
that deeply cares and gives freely.
Scientifically speaking this type
of emotional support work has
been proven to aid the children’s
recovery,” she says, “Beyond the

science, I have seen and experienced the joyful sharing of play
and laughter being a gift to ALL”.
Running The Up does come
with a few challenges. Jackman
mentions that marketing and PR
are amongst their biggest challenges, “I envision a time where
folk will know our name, think
joy, find joy and step UP to be
part of joyous solutions for the
world. We have so many wonderful ways for folk to sUPport
us and be trained UP,” she says,
“You can inspire your team to
do our corporate care clowning
programme – imagine during
work taking a few hours to go
share joy! You can also become
a monthly or once off donor. All
contributions help UP to train
more Care Clowns and grow joy
in hospitals and homes around
South Africa”. To read more visit
www.youcanhelp.co.za. – courtesy of SA - the Good News http://www.sagoodnews.co.za

Answer to Quiz on page 16:
1. What
2.A towel
3. A stamp
4. Silence
5. Smiles - there is a mile
between the two s’s
6. He is walking on the sidewalk
7. Four - calling a trunk a leg
does not make it a leg
8. All month have 28 days
9. Your right elbow
10. Daughter-in-law
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Hoedspruit

31°C | Lo 17°C
Sunshine with a few clouds
Fri, 27 Sep’13

21°C | 35°C

Sat, 28 Sep’13

12°C | 24°C

Sun, 29 Sep’13

7°C | 21°C

Mon, 30 Sep’13

8°C | 24°C

Tues, 1 Oct’13

11°C | 24°C

Wed, 2 Oct’13

14°C | 30°C

Weather information supplied by
Accuweather.

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

Page 4

Nyani Cultural Village
well worth a visit
The Nyani Cultural Village, located at the Cheetah Inn on the Guernsey road just outside Hoedspruit, is
well worth a visit. The Village is a reconstruction of an authentic Shangaan village and offers an interesting insight into the traditional lifestyle and mythology of the Shangaan people.
Bookings are by reservation only. A village tour and storytelling starts at 11h00 and the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Roots of
Rhythmâ&#x20AC;? show runs from 12:15 to 1:15 and is followed by lunch. The whole package is R295 for adults
and R150 for children 12 and under who are accompanied by adults. For the show only, or the village
tour and lunch only, it is R175 for adults and R50 for children 12 and under accompanied by adults.
Tour and school group concessions are available upon request.
Contact Maureen Lahoud 083 785 5354 maurneenlahoud@gmail.com or ror@ecoranger.co.za

Sabie
Shenanigan
MTB Rally
26 October
2013
Sabie, Mpumalanga Province
The Sabie Shenanigan Mountain Bike Rally is a one of a kind race in
South Africa. The race follows the format of a motor rally, where each
team is given a route schedule & a specified time before their allocated
start. The stage is 75km long with the day leg being 47km & the night
leg 28km. The race requires that each team have basic navigational skills
as well as a good fitness and endurance qualities to complete the rally.

2013 World Gold Panning Championships
27 to 29 September, 2013
Pilgrims Rest, Mpumalanga Province
Bring the family and enjoy the art of gold panning at the 2013 National
Gold Panning Championships in Pilgrims Rest from the 27th to the 29th
of Septemberor or join us for the semi-finals and finals on Saturday the
28th of September and Sunday the 29th of September to see who will be
crowned the Gold Panning Champion. Prize giving will take place on
Sunday at 15h00.

German Weekend @ 3 Bridges Restaurant
(Situated along the Olifants River on the R40 Road)
18/19th October 2013
Come join us for some German Beer & Food!
Bookings essential -079 9129 416
3bridges@radioactivewifi.co.za

PLEASE NOTE:
Send us your company name, contact details as well as
the area you provide your services in. If we get it wrong
please help us get it right!

082 803 0369

Key information for advertisers
• Extremely competitive rates
• One advert published embraces 7 lowveld towns
• Phalaborwa, Graskop, Sabie, Pilgrim’s Rest, Hazyview,
White River and Hoedspruit
• Distribution in high density traffic residential, commercial
and business locations
• The largest single newspaper distributor in the region The
Bushveld Times is complimentary for consumers
The Bushveld Times, based in Hoedspruit and launched in June this year, is a
complimentary regional newspaper distributed bi-weekly in 7 different towns
across the lowveld. In a nutshell, we are a fresh, interesting, topical, diverse,
positive and non-predictable source of information to the lowveld consumer.
As a result of the key economic activities in the lowveld region such as tourism,
agriculture, forestry, retail and the game industry, we have ensured that The
Bushveld Times will appeal not only to a cross section of local residents, but
will also be of relevance and interest to our domestic and international tourists,
commercial visitors and business travellers. The content of the newspaper is
such that it will be of significance to a relatively broad consumer base with topical articles covering subjects such as business compliance, the law, economics,
the environment, community projects, lifestyle activities, motoring, motorsport
and photography, to name but a few.
We believe that our focussed distribution policy is fundamental not only to our
own success, but to that of our advertisers. With that in mind, we ensure drop off
in high density traffic locations such Spar, Pick n Pay, Checkers, business and
agricultural warehouses, petrol stations, butcheries, popular restaurants, busy
coffee shops, tourism offices and airports. For the business consumer we distribute at locations such as golf courses, large time share properties, lifestyle estates,
hotels and hotel conference centres.
Being a complimentary newspaper, distribution and circulation is not limited or
restricted by cost to the consumer and is therefore extensively widely read.
In addition, we have our own website and are extremely active in terms of the
on-line social media opportunities available. Please feel free to visit our website
at www.bushveldtimes.co.za to view a complete copy of each of our published
editions.
Value for money is central to our advertising policy. The Bushveld Times advertising costs are extremely competitive and we are always happy to consider
putting together a long term rates package to meet your needs. An exceptional
benefit offered by The Bushveld Times is that a single advert, placed by you,
will reach a significant consumer base in the seven targeted lowveld towns.
Please feel free to give us a call to discuss any advertising ideas you may have.
We look forward to heaaring from you.
Publication dates for 2013 are 10 and 24 Oct, 7 and 21 Nov, 5 and 19 Dec.
For more information on advertising please don’t hesitate to contact us.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY
List your Business here for FREE email
info@bushveldtimes.co.za

Page 5

Page 6

Lowveld Lodging and Dining

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

Motswari introduces new bush experiences

Hazyview

Motswari Private Game Reserve in the Motswari tracker. Breakfast is served at the
Timbavati, Kruger National Park, has in- lodge when guests return from the excurtroduced two new bush experiences for sion. The Giraffe’s Nest tree house is three
guests – walking safaris and overnight metres above the ground and overlooks
stays at The Giraffe’s Nest tree house. The the Xanatsi Dam. Guests on the overnight
guided ‘walking safari’ begins with an stay are served a picnic dinner, while an
overnight stay at a luxury tented camp af- open canopy provides a view of the stars.
ter which guests set out on foot, guided by a Tourism Update. www.tourismupdate.co.za

The Lilizela Tourism Awards

Tzaneen

Extracts from the speech by the Minister of
Tourism, Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk, on
the occasion of the inaugural Lilizela Awards
in Pretoria. The national winners were announced earlier this month at a function held
at the Tshwane Events Centre and attended
by the who’s who of the tourism industry.
“The Lilizela Tourism Awards were created to honour the outstanding contributions of tourism establishments and individuals who are driving innovation and
delivering quality service and products. All
of the winners – provincially and nationally – have not only set the standard for
global excellence, but they have also demonstrated why our country continues to be
one of the most frequently visited by tourists from all over the world. Our visitors
from abroad as well as our local travellers
have had fantastic experiences, and this is
reflected in the Service Excellence category
where visitors were encouraged to vote”.
“In addition, the Tourism Grading Council

of South Africa’s star grading is working to
ensure that our accommodation establishments are on par with global offerings – all
contributing to phenomenal traveller experiences. I am incredibly proud to be part of
an industry that has such high standards and
impeccable service excellence records. Over
the last few months, we have been privy to
some exceptional entries all of which show
the level of detail establishment owners go to
ensure visitor experience is comfortable and
reliable. This is what sets our country and its
offerings apart from the rest of the world”.
More than one thousand submissions were
received across all but two of the categories, that being ETEYA and the Minister’s
Awards. The latter is a completely new addition and was introduced specifically for
the inaugural launch. The Minister’s Award
seeks to honour recipients who have made
a noteworthy local and global contribution
to tourism economically and socially. The
award was presented to Mr Jabu Mabuza for
his exceptional contribution to the tourism
sector. Mabuza has played a leadership role
in Tsogo Sun, which he has helped to build
into one of the top gaming and hotel groups
in the world, interalia as chief executive officer (CEO) and, today, as deputy chairperson of the board. He helped to grow this industry into a major contributor to economic
growth and employment and always did so
in a wise, dignified and level-headed way.
To view the full list of the national finalists
visit http://www.lilizela.co.za

Method:
1. Prepare all the ingredients for the salsa and toss together in a
bowl.
2. Add the dressing and toss lightly.
3. Heat the oven to 180°C and heat the corn chips on a baking
tray (optional).
4. Sprinkle the hot chips with mozzarella (optional).
5. Dip the corn chips into the salsa and enjoy.

At this time of year, as we await
the summer rains, container gardening can be very rewarding.
Containers are obviously a lot
easier to look after and with regular watering, they will soon reward
you with a splash of colour against
the back drop of the dry Bushveld.
Containers should always have
drainage holes at the bottom and,
in order to allow the water to drain
without letting the potting soil escape, place some stones or broken
bits of clay below the soil. I recommend using potting soil in all your
containers as it contains a slow
release fertilizer which is good for
up to six weeks after planting. I

Don’t overheat this summer

With summer just around the corner
I thought I would share some out of
the box ideas on how to keep cool.
At night:
Put a small pillow in the
freezer an hour or two before
you go to bed. Put a few plastic shopping bags over it to keep
ice from forming on the fabric.
Use silk or satin pillowcases
and
sheets.
During the day:
Drink water frequently. Your body
will feel cooler if you are hydrated.
Spray water on your exposed
skin for an instant cooling effect.
Relive the 80’s and wear a wet ter-

rycloth headband on your forehead.
Run cold water over your wrists
for 10 seconds on each hand.
Soak your feet in a
bucket
of
cold
water.
Dress appropriately:
Wear nothing. If you’re in a situation where you can go without
clothes, this can be the most comfortable and natural way to stay cool.
Wear loosely-woven natural fabrics like cotton, silk and
linen instead of polyester, rayon and other artificial fibres.
Wear light colours which
reflects
light
and
heat.
Alter your diet:

Stock your freezer with flavoured ice treats. Freeze a bag
of chopped fruit such as watermelon, pineapple or lemons.
Mint refreshes the skin and
leaves a nice cooling sensation.
Try a few minty or menthol products to cool your skin.
Slice a thin piece of cold cucumber (from the fridge or a
cooler) and stick it in the middle
of your forehead! An ice cube or
a cold soda can work similarly.
Eat spicy food. It’s not a coincidence that many people in hotter regions of the world eat spicy
food. Spicy (hot to the taste) food
increases
perspiration
which
cools the body as it evaporates.
Little extras:
Lie on a tiled floor. It will be
coolest near the floor on the
ground level. Warm air rises since
it’s less dense than cooler air. If
you’re in a house, for example,
stay lower than the warm air.
Try a heat snorkelling system.
Take a glass and fill it almost to the
brim with ice cubes. Hold it up to
your mouth and blow gently into
the cup. The ice causes the air you
are blowing into the cup to cool

don’t advise using garden soil as it
tends to compact over time causing
your pots to crack and split open.
Always add sufficient water so
that it drains out the base of the
pot. This encourages deep rooting
which makes your plants more resistant to drought. However don’t
allow your pots to ‘sit’ in water,
but rather use ‘feet’ under the
containers to ensure good drainage. Feed your pot plants once a
month with a water soluble fertilizer like Nitrosol or Multifeed
and always make sure you choose
a plant suitable for both the size
of the container and the position
in which you intend to place it.
Remember, you don’t solely
have to use traditional terracotta
pots as containers. You can in fact
use just about anything, for as long
as it will hold enough soil and provide drainage after watering. Try
the trusty “Google” as a source of
inspiration and view a few of the
many creative options provided.
Enjoy your gardening this
month and if you need advice
on containers and what to plant,
please don’t hesitate to contact
me.
Belinda McLintock, Botanical Bliss – 083 407 1969

Tired of eating your
lunch and all you have
is your pen? Here is
the solution! Find it on
amazon.com

Make your own picture
frame with all the odds
lying around

down drastically, and since the air
only has one way out of the cup the
cold air is forced out over your skin.
To put the “snorkelling system” to more efficient use, point
a fan into a square of four cups
filled with ice water and ice
cubes. The cooler air in the
cups have nowhere to go but out.
Think cool:
Read books about climbing
Mount Everest, visiting Norway, or watch winter movies like
“March of the Penguins” and “Ice
Age.” You might not be physi- Don’t cry over spilled
cally cooler, but if your mind en- wine... When red wine hits
visions a cold environment, you a white shirt, table cloth or
might feel a bit cooler - wikiHow
I asked my husband to help prepare
supper.
Told him to peel half the potatoes in
the bag and put them in the pot of
water!
Where was I not clear?

light coloured carpet, try
to blot up as much of the
wine as possible and look
for a product containing
hydrogen peroxide to put
on the stain, followed by a
generous sprinkle of baking soda. Make sure that
the peroxide and soda fully
cover the stained area and
let it sit for 2-3 minutes.
Rinse with water and, if it’s
a shirt or table cloth, pop
it in the laundy as usual.

Page 8

Thursday, 26 SEPTEMBER 2013 The Bushveld Times

SKA will be world’s biggest telescope
Southern Africa, the SKA radio analyse all the raw data
telescope will constantly scan that will be collected daily.
The SKA project will also have
space and feed the data to astronomers around the world. The unprecedented data connectivity
amounts of data being collected needs. Meeting the advanced techand transmitted will be stagger- nological and engineering needs
ing – the SKA says the data col- of this massive project will result
lected by the SKA array in a single in significant local skills developday would take nearly two million ment, revolutionise science and
years to play back on an iPod. This technology research and enable
means the project requires super- innovative new businesses and
computing power and Big Data employment in the science, techmanagement and analytics capa- nology and engineering fields, RatThe Square Kilometre Array
bilities on an unprecedented scale. cliffe says. “Aside from the ben(SKA) project is more than a maSKA is working with the world’s efits to African science, Big Data
jor feather in SA’s scientific
capabilities could be our
cap – it could also catalyse
biggest spin-off from the
significant science, techSKA project. The innovanology and engineering
tions, skills development
business
opportunities,
and commercial potential
jobs and innovation. It also
emerging as a result of
has the potential to put Afthe project are huge. The
rica firmly on the map as a
potential is not just acaworld Big Data and analytdemic – we develop the
ics hub.
This is according to
most significant ICT powerhouses taxpayer-funded intellectual propSimon Ratcliffe, technical lead for
– such as IBM – on the project. One erty to a point where it’s ready to
scientific computing at the SKA
aspect of the project will see AS- become commercialised and benoffice in Cape Town. The multiTRON, the Netherlands Institute efit the economy” - SKA Project
billion rand SKA, to be hosted in
for Radio Astronomy and IBM col- courtesy of SA - the Good NewsSouth Africa and Australia, will
laborating to research extremely http://www.sagoodnews.co.za
extend into eight African counfast, but lowtries and will be the world’s bigpower exasgest telescope. It is also one of the
cale computbiggest-ever scientific projects and
er systems,
multinational collaborations in
data
transthe name of science. The project
port
and
has already entered its first phase,
storage
with radio astronomy scientists
processes,
and engineers finalising its design.
and streamConstruction will start in 2016
ing analytand the radio telescope should
ics that will
be operationally mature by 2020.
be required
With thousands of linked radio
to
read,
wave receptors in Australia and
Picture courtesy of SKA Organisation/Swinburne Astronomy Productions
store
and

Services Offered

“the world’s
biggest telescope”

Back to the future for the Coach House
The Coach House Hotel & Spa,
built in 1983, is situated on 560
hectares in the lush sub-tropical
Letaba district of Limpopo some
15kms outside Tzaneen in an area
called Agatha. Nestled atop a
ridge, the retreat offers dramatic
panoramic views of the Letsitele
Valley and Drakensberg Mountain
Range.
Just recently, the task of returning the Hotel and Spa to its former
glory fell to the newly appointed
General Manager Coba Röhm.
Having successfully transformed
the Sheppard Boutique Hotel in
Nelspruit, Coba has taken up the
challenge of recreating the ambi-

ence of days gone by. “I want the
Coach House to fulfil the role of
a custodian of history and nature,
but it won’t be easy. I do not have
unlimited resources however I
will work hard to maintain the
highest level of service and standards”, she is quoted as saying.
One of the ideas she has up her
sleeve is to promote the hotel as
an arts and culture venue by introducing a small art gallery cum
studio and by reintroducing the
classical concerts that were once
so popular.
A second key member of the
new management team is executive chef Peter Irons who has re-

turned to the Hotel after 29 years,
having been married there back in
the mid 80’s. He says that his six
course wedding feast plus fresh
oysters cost him a whopping R26
a head back in the day! Not only
will Peter be looking to bring back
the dishes for which the Coach
House became famous but he will
also be looking to introduce “a
fusion of modern cuisine together
with the old classic dishes”. As if
that will not be enough of a challenge, as an avid gardener, he will
be taking over responsibility for
the extensive grounds as well. For
booking inquiries contact Manya
on 082 895 2020 .

SANParks and the proposed smoking regulations
Beware the smoker that braais
would be for parks management to
provide such “designated outdoor
smoking areas” and in so doing,
they would be required to put up
signage and to manage, control and
police these areas 24/7 all across
the park. Not madly practical!
When considering that most braai
facilities in the Kruger Park are
located well within the 10 metre
Back in March 2012, you may limitation in relation to bungalow
recall that the Department of doors and windows and, when
Health published a draft Regula- considering the propensity for
tion relating to smoking in public overnight visitors to braai and
places and, certain outdoor public places which they referred to
as “designated outdoor smoking
areas”. In essence, this proposal
bans smoking indoors in all public places and requires that all existing indoor designated smoking
areas be discontinued. In the last
edition of the Bushveld Times, I
mentioned that I would take a look
at a few of the challenges facing
the department when it comes to
the practical implementation and
consequences of the so called in many instances to smoke at
“designated outdoor smoking ar- the same time, one can only but
eas.” The first that comes to mind chuckle at the probable outcome.
You will be able to braai but not
is somewhat amusing and, you
can be quite sure, was not con- smoke while doing so. However,
sidered nor hopefully intended you could of course consider inhalby the overzealous script writers. ing the braai smoke as an alternaIn terms of the draft, both inter- tive! The next option as a smoker
national and domestic visitors to while braaing, would be to risk
South African parks including burning the wors by nipping off
the Kruger National Park, will to the “designated outdoor smoknot be permitted to smoke any- ing area” which will hopefully
where other than in their private have been provided and will, with
vehicles (if no kids under 12) or any luck, be in the centre or therein lawfully designated outdoor abouts of the circle in which your
smoking areas. If these areas are bungalow is located (not adjacent
provided, they may not be located to walkways and areas where perwithin less than 10 metres from sons generally congregate or walk).
walkways, doors and windows. Failing that, you may have to
Tourists would therefore not be sprint across to the circle opposite,
permitted to smoke in or around have a quick puff, and hurtle back
bungalows, restaurants, shops, before you set the chops on fire.
Over and above the antics that
toilets and public vehicles, nor at
any of the hundreds of viewing will be required of smokers, there
points (where they can legally exit are a few challenges that the parks
their vehicles). The only solution management face as well. The

Peter Cumberlege

there is significant scope for SA
to host more international conferences and events, which will be a
ness tourism can benefit us all. major boost for tourism and the
One successful event leads to the economy. “Hosting more Afrinext successful one,” Nzima says. can association events is a major
Tourism Business Council of opportunity and is also necesSA’s (TBCSA) chief executive sary in that it proves to the rest
Mmatsatsi Ramawela, said last of the world that SA can successmonth that the TBCSA FNB tour- fully hold such events,” she says.
Danny Bryer, director of sales,
marketing and revenue for the
Protea Hospitality Group, says
one of the fastest-growing inbound tourism segments has been
the MICE market, which people
under-estimate. He says the top
performing areas are Johannesburg
ism business index for the second and Cape Town and to a lesser
quarter of this year had confirmed extent Durban. Bryer says one of
the industry had returned to nor- the biggest opportunities for the
mal trading levels. Ramawela says South African business tourism
business tourism had sustained the industry is the incentives market,
index at near-normal levels dur- where companies send staff to SA
ing the winter months, when the as part of a performance-incentive
index usually declined. She says scheme – courtesy of I-Net Bridge

Business tourism set to take off
The mushrooming tourism industry is spurring investments into
new hotels and conferencing facilities across SA. Business tourism conferences combined with leisure
activities - is fairly new to SA and
has become a key focus of the Department of Tourism. It established
the South African National Conventions Bureau about a year ago,
which has proved successful in attracting bids. South African Tourism’s chief executive Thulani Nzima says that there are 88 secured
bids for major events between
2013 and 2017 and these will generate upwards of R2.6bn for the SA
economy. “The results that we are
registering now are quite impressive, but we are just at the beginning of the process,” he said. “My
call to the industry is to sit up and
look at how this segment of busi-

draft proposes that “the owner or
person in control of a designated
outdoor smoking area must ensure that no person under the age
of 18 years is present, no food or
refreshment is served, no entertainment is provided, ashtrays are
installed and the area regularly
cleaned and that smokers are discouraged from remaining in the
area longer than is necessary”.
OK, so the parks official elected
to keep an eye on the designated
outdoor smoking area will need to
ensure that the smoker that braais
does not - bring along his guitar,
have any wors with him or at least
that he does not “serve” himself
any wors, that he does not “serve”
himself a beer whilst there and
of course, the official will be required to explain to the kids why
they cant tag along behind Dad.
The smoker that braais, on the
other hand, will have to get used
to the ever present park official
whose role it will be to ensure
that, as soon as he has finished
puffing, he leaves the area without hesitation. I guess two continuous ciggies will be out of the
question! Finally, I would suppose
that each park official, whose duty
it will be to officiate at the designated outdoors smoking area 24/7
(no doubt they will spin coins for
the privilege), will be equipped
with a suitably powerful pair of
binoculars in order to verify that
those “braai persons that smoke”
are not taking any liberties when
they return to their smoking fires.
OK admittedly tongue in cheek
but what on earth were they thinking – or were they thinking? How
can it possibly be reasonable
for the Department of Health to
place such uncontrollable, unworkable and, in all probability,
costly responsibilities on the management of our national parks?

Page 9

Economic news in brief
Quarterly Employment Statistics, June 2013
The June 2013 Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) survey
shows that the number of people
employed in the formal nonagricultural sector of the South
African economy decreased by
about 28000 persons (-0,3%) from
March 2013 (an estimated 8 465
000 employees) to June 2013 (an
estimated 8 437 000 employees).
The gross earnings paid to employees during the quarter ended June
2013 (April 2013 to June 2013)
amounted to R384 344 million.
Manufacturing: Production and
sales, July 2013
Manufacturing production increased by 5,4% in July 2013
compared with July 2012. Seasonally adjusted manufacturing
production for the three months
ended July 2013 increased by
2,2% compared with the previous
three months. Six of the ten manufacturing divisions reported positive growth rates over this period.
Mining: Production and sales,
July 2013
Mining production increased by
0,6% year-on-year in July 2013.
The highest positive growth rates
were recorded for manganese ore
(17,0%), nickel (14,7%) and chromium ore (12,3%). The main contributors to the 0,6% increase were
PGMs (contributing 1,0 percentage
point) and manganese ore (contributing 0,7 of a percentage point).
Iron ore (contributing -1,7 percentage points) was a significant negative contributor. Seasonally adjusted mining production increased by
3,2% in July 2013 compared with
June 2013. This followed monthon-month changes of -1,9% in
June 2013 and 4,3% in May 2013.
Electricity generated and available for distribution, July 2013
The actual volume of electricity consumption increased by
1,8% year-on-year in July 2013.
Seasonally adjusted electricity
consumption increased by 1,4%
month-on-month in July 2013,
following a month-on-month increase of 0,2% in June 2013. Seasonally adjusted electricity consumption increased by 2,3% in
the three months ended July 2013
compared with the previous three
months. The actual estimated electricity production increased by
0,7% year-on-year in July 2013.
Consumer Price Index (CPI),
August 2013
The headline inflation rate in
August 2013 (i.e. the Consumer
Price Index for all urban areas in

August 2013 compared with that
at August 2012) was 6,4%. The
official inflation rate (i.e. the percentage change in the CPI for all
urban areas in August 2013 compared with that in August 2012)
was 6,4% at August 2013. This
rate was 0,1 of a percentage point
higher than the corresponding annual rate of 6,3% in July 2013
(i.e. the Consumer Price Index
for all urban areas in July 2013
compared with that in July 2012).
Retail trade sales, July 2013
Measured in constant 2012 prices,
retail trade sales increased by 2,8%
year-on-year in July 2013. The
highest annual growth rates were
recorded for retailers in hardware,
paint and glass (10,3%), textiles,
clothing, footwear and leather
goods (8,9%) and food, beverages
and tobacco in specialised stores
(4,3%). Retail trade sales increased
by 3,4% in the three months ended July 2013 compared with the
three months ended July 2012.
Motor trade sales, July 2013
Measured in nominal terms (current prices), motor trade sales increased by 13,2% year-on-year
in July 2013. The highest annual
growth rates were recorded for
new vehicle sales (18,6%), workshop income (18,0%), fuel sales
(14,1%) and sales of accessories
(11,4%). Seasonally adjusted motor trade sales increased by 5,1%
in July 2013 compared with June
2013. This followed month-onmonth changes of -3,0% in June
2013 and 1,1% in May 2013. Motor trade sales increased by 8,8% in
the three months ended July 2013
compared with the three months
ended July 2012. The major contributors to this increase were:
Wholesale trade sales, July 2013
Measured in real terms (constant
2012 prices), wholesale trade sales
increased by 8,5% year-on-year
in July 2013. Seasonally adjusted
wholesale trade sales increased by
0,5% in July 2013 compared with
June 2013. This followed monthon-month changes of -0,9% in June
2013 and 2,6% in May 2013. Seasonally adjusted wholesale trade
sales increased by 2,1% in the three
months ended July 2013 compared
with the previous three months.

Afull report on each of the above, can
be found on the Statistics South Africa website at www.statssa.gov.za

What happened on this day…..
1901 - Boer General Botha fails to capture Fort Itala in
Natal
1936 – Birth of Winnie Mandela, South African activist
1968 - 1st broadcast of “Hawaii Five-O” on CBS-TV
1973 – Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the
Atlantic in record-breaking time

An exceptional act of compas- only did Savanah sell her toys continue to require funding and
sion and concern for the plight of and raise R1000 but, at such a our help will always be needed.
To read more about the Rhino Orour rhinos came in the form of a young age, she fully understands
little ray of sunshine when 7 year and has grasped the concept of phanage, you can visit their webold Savanah Gutteridge, from preservation and conservation. site at www.rhinoorphanage.co.za.
For donations equal to or better
Hoedspruit, sold some of her own
A while back her mother, Sarah
toys to raise money for the Rhino Gutteridge, posted this amazing than Savanah’s, the Rhino OrphanOrphanage in Entabeni. When story on their website at www. age banking details are as follows
her class mates asked her why natureguidetraining.com and, as - Account Name: Legend Rhino
she would give away so much a result, numerous businesses Orphanage. First National Bank.
money, her humble reply was and individuals pledged to match Mokopane Branch code 26-02-48,
that she wants her own children or double Savanah’s donation. account number 62366479171 and
It is so good to know that her use your name, company name
to be able to see a rhino one day.
I don’t know about you, but ev- generosity has not gone unan- and email address as the reference
ery time I think of this amazing swered. But as we all know, the
sacrifice, I get goose bumps. Not conservation of our rhinos’ will - Editor

Unit, WWF-SA, said research had
shown that regulatory action needed to be implemented alongside
campaign activities to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products.
“Government must ensure law
enforcement is
effective in combating
illegal
activity around
the purchase and
use of rhino horn,
while also joining the efforts to
reduce demand,”
she
explained.
In South Africa,
618 rhinos have
been killed this
year, compared
with 668 killed
in 2012, according to the latest
statistics
from
the Department
of Environmental
Affairs and Tour-

One of the largest types of praying mantis, the Devil’s Flower Mantis, is also one of the strangest. And
that’s saying a lot when you’re talking about praying mantids. Females
of the species can measure up to 5
inches (13 cm) long, and have developed a range of natural coloring
ism. HSI noted that conservationthat allows them to mimic the Devil’s
ists have warned that SA’s black
Flower, a type of orchid.
and white rhino could be extinct
Mantids are predators, and their
in the wild by 2026. Tourism Update - www.tourismupdate.co.za hunting style usually involves sitting motionless until their prey
comes within reach, and then whipping their forearms out at lightning speed to snag flies, beetles and even, in some cases, birds. The
Devil’s Flower Mantis uses color patterns that mimic a flower to actually lure its prey within reach

Campaign hopes to reduce rhino horn demand
Humane Society International
has partnered with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) in a campaign
to reduce the demand for rhino
horn. The awareness campaign,
which was launched in Vietnam
last month, will engage key stakeholders in an effort to reduce the
demand for rhino horn. Stakeholders that will be engaged include
women’s groups, business leaders, students and traditional and
Western medical practitioners.
“We are very pleased to be working with the Vietnam CITES Management Authority on this important issue,” said Teresa Telecky,
Director of the Wildlife Department of HSI. “Reducing demand
for rhino horn in Vietnam will cut
off a marketplace for the criminal
networks that run the illegal trade,
and this is an essential part of the solution to save rhino lives.” Jo Shaw,
Rhino Co-ordinator: Biodiversity

One of the major things that separate humans from animals is that
most lower life forms have an intense will to live. Unless they are defending their babies or food, most
animals will prefer to run off than
fight, because life is precious. Plus,
given the fact that most don’t really
appear to be all that self concious,
the likelihood of ‘goth’ hamsters
and ‘emo’ pigeons seems pretty
thin. Suicide is not one of the things that animals do. Humans could
learn from them…
www.cracked.com

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

BUSHVELD

It’s all about the angle of view
Wildlife Photography by Chris Martin
level, it offered me a unique
opportunity to capture an unusual
image of a relatively common
subject. I deliberately used a large
aperture (f5.6) to soften the background and make the bird stand
out as I lay flat on the ground
outside the hide. Low angle shots
give us a differing view of the
natural world. Here are two quick
tips when taking low angle shots
for your portfolio.

When I look through images
posted on social media, it is true
to say that those that make the
most profound impact are where
the photographer has managed
to attain an angle of view that is
either level or slightly lower than
the eye level of his subject.
In wildlife photography this
approach is especially difficult
and in Africa sometimes dangerous. We become used to working
from game vehicles or our cars
and whilst this can often allow us
to view our subject closely, the re-

sults can be somewhat unflattering
as we are forced to shoot down
on the subject, sometimes losing
the perspective of their environment as well as the animal’s real
scale. Shooting from ground level
overcomes this and often gives a
much more natural image.
For the image of the juvenile
Natal francolin, I was waiting
beside a hide I had erected to
photograph elephant activity in
Madikwe Game Reserve. This is a
subject that we drive past a thousand times a day but from ground

2. Get flat on your belly!!
I know that this can be a little
unappealing at times, but for the
sake of art, nothing comes without
sacrifice!! To make it slightly
more comfortable, buy yourself a
cheap piece of matting or use an
old piece of carpet. If you are on
safari with a guide tell him or her
what images you are looking to
get and that you’d like to get some
ground level shots.
Chris Martin - Wildlife Photographer and Photographic Safari
Guide

1. Stay safe!!
Don’t take unnecessary risks to get your
shot. National Parks
and game reserves
post warnings about
the dangers of
wildlife for a reason.
However, in the
presence of an experienced guide who
understands and can
read the behaviour
of the animal, you
can go about your
photography safely.
Most importantly of

SANParks to restore natural ecological processes

South African National Parks of jackal diets, particularly when
has engaged in a challenging impacted by the presence of large
programme of restoring natural carnivores such as cheetah and lion.
According to Dr Magome the
ecological processes, including
predation by carnivores, as a key establishment of large predators
means of conserving biodiver- may have created conditions that
sity in several of its smaller na- hamper natural regulatory mechational parks. This according to nisms of medium-sized predators
SANParks Managing Executive: such as jackal. Declines of smaller
Conservation Services, Dr Hector herbivore species such as springMagome who said learning from bok, klipspringer and duiker, toSANParks research work and field gether with observed increases in
observations which commenced jackal abundances, have raised
in 2010, jackal numbers are being concerns about a possible colculled from national parks such as lapse of predator-prey dynamics in
Mountain Zebra and Karoo NPs. some of these small national parks.
He said jackals are culled in acDr Magome explained that “A
cordance with SANParks Standard number of hyOperating Procedures for Lethal potheses regardPopulation Management, which ing the factors
has been approved by SANParks involved in such
Animal Use and Care Committee. a collapse were
Dr Magome said the Centre for proposed during
African Conservation Ecology at the workshops
the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan involving SANUniversity in Port Elizabeth will Parks scientists
analyse biological material from and
managers.
the culled jackals as part of existing
Firstly, robust
research to further understanding fencing erected

all, do not break park regulations.

to contain larger predators is likely
to prevent mature jackals from dispersing as they would in open systems, resulting in high jackal abundances and associated increases in
jackal predation pressure. Secondly, the presence of large carnivores
such as cheetah, lion and spotted
hyena can improve food availability for jackals through the provision of carrion, thereby enhancing
jackal population growth. In addition low densities or absence of
solitary carnivores such as leopard,
known to kill jackal, potentially
reduces jackal mortality rates”.
“Demographic studies on springbok have pinpointed predation on
lambs (less than 6 months old)
by jackals as the cause of population declines in Mountain Zebra
National Park. In Karoo National
Park, springbok dispersed after
the park was expanded, reducing springbok herd sizes and increasing their vulnerability to
jackal. Dr Magome emphasized
that the management intervention
through a combination of prey introductions and predator removals, specifically jackal removals,
is therefore required to reduce the
risk of local extinction of small
springbok populations - SANParks Corporate Communications.

Page 11

Did you know?

The total number of rhino
poached in South Africa
since January 2013 has
increased to 635, while the
number of people arrested
for rhino poaching-related
offences has climbed to 194.
The Kruger National Park
continues to bear the brunt
with 396 rhino killed for
their horns. South Africans
are encouraged to report
incidents of poaching and
tip-offs to the anonymous
tip-off lines 0800 205 005,
08600 10111 or Crime-Line
on 32211. – SAnews.gov.za

Ig-Nobel prize for dung beetle boots

Dung beetles sporting custommade caps and boots entered the
annals of the Ig Nobel Prize when
South Africa’s second ever winner was announced during the
23rd Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at
Harvard University earlier this
month. Organised by tongue-incheek magazine Annals of Improbable Research, the Ig Nobel
Prizes “honour achievements that
first make people laugh and then
make them think”, the magazine
says on its website, adding: “The
prizes are intended to celebrate the
unusual, honour the imaginative
and spur people’s interest in science, medcine, and technology”.
Professor Marcus Byrne from
Wits University in Johannesburg,
along with his colleagues from
Lund University in Sweden, were
awarded Ig Nobel Prizes in Astronomy and Biology for their novel
research on Southern Africa’s famous dung beetle. Byrne and his
team designed caps and boots for
dung beetles and dressed the beetles in their new apparel to prove,
firstly, that dung beetles use the
Milky Way to orientate, and secondly, that dung beetles climb on
top of their dung balls to cool their
bodies as they roll the ball away
from competitors at the dung pile.
“We are chuffed to win the Ig
Nobel! Believe it or not, it is a significant recognition of one’s work,

especially in reaching the wider
general public. Poking fun at science is good. The whole enterprise
is one of questioning something even the results - and enjoying it.
All four of us are really honoured by the award and hope it
spreads the word among the general public that science is not dry
and boring but actually good
fun”, said Byrne and team members Marie Dacke, Eric Warrant,
Emily Baird and Clarke Scholtz.
South Africa has had one previous winner. In 1999, Charl Fourie
and Michelle Wong were awarded
the Ig Nobel Prize in Peace for
inventing a burglar alarm for cars
consisting of a detection circuit
and a flamethrower. During Thursday’s ceremony, 10 Ig Nobel Prizes
were awarded to winners from 18
countries on five continents - with
genuine Nobel laureates, including Dudley Herschbach (chemistry,
1986), Eric Maskin (economics,
2007) and Roy Glauber (physics,
2005) - handing out the prizes to
the winners. The ceremony also
featured the world premiere of
The Blonsky Device, a mini-opera
in four acts inspired by George
and Charlotte Blonsky, who were
granted a patent in 1965 for an
“Apparatus for Facilitating the Birth
of a Child by Centrifugal Force”
Courtesy of SAinfo and Wits
University

Page 12

It’s all about pork at Pick n Pay White River

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

Schools Calendar for 2015 published
The Minister of Basic Education has, in terms of the National Education
Policy Act No 27 of 1996, published the official Public Schools
Calendar for 2015.
Group 1: Inland Provinces: Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga
and North West
Coastal Provinces can be found on Department of Educational website
Term

Duration

No. of
Weeks

No. of
Days

No. of
public
holidays

Actual
No. of
school
days

The judging panel, Gouzette Str- 1
Riekie Trollip, from Pick n Pay give participating butcheries the
(12) 14 January - 25 March
11
(53) 51 0
(53) 51
in White River, has once again opportunity to introduce new pork ydom from Premier Pork Produc- 2
13 April - 26 June
11
55
3+1
51
entered the Premier Pork Pro- products to their customers. Over a ers and Elna Erasmus and Wilma
3
20 July - 02 October
11
55
2+1
52
ducers campaign entitled “The period of around two months every Bridger from Deli Spices visited
4
12 October - (11) 09 December 09
(45) 43 0
(45) 43
Porkalicious Project”. Last year participating butchery, of which Pick n Pay last week to carry out
Total
42
(208)
5
+
2
(201)
Riekie managed to secure an ex- there were 60 this year, is required their final inspection and assess204
197
cellent third place however, judg- to complete and record a vast ar- ment. There was absolutely no
ing from her amazing effort this ray of tasks, promotions, in-store doubt that they were extremely imBursaries available for Mpumalanga
year, she is destined to go one or demonstrations, displays and cre- pressed with the Riekie’s dedicahopefully even two steps better. ative recipes as set out in the “The tion, commitment and enthusiasm.
matrics
The final results are expected to
Ettienne, the owner of Pick n Pay Porkalicious Project” portfolio.
Mbombela - Grade 12 learners in fice. Applications can also be made
White River, said that he was ex- The store customers have definite- be announced in late October and
Mpumalanga have until September online at the department’s website:
tremely proud of the work, creativ- ly benefitted as a result with R150 we will of course let you know 30 to apply for bursaries to further www.mpumalanga.gov.za/education.
ity and effort put into the promo- pork hampers being given away the outcome. The Bushveld Times their education. “The department “Learners need to be aware that all
tion by Riekie. “It has definitely each week, pork specials on sale, wishes Riekie all the best - we have calls on all Grade 12 learners, who bursaries offered by the provincial
impacted our pork sales” he said. new and exciting pork products a sneaky suspicion that she may need financial assistance to further government are centralised which
The project, conducted in coop- on offer and a number of cooking just top last year’s performance. their studies in different universi- means that we, as the Education Deeration with Deli Spices, aims to demonstrations having taken place.
ties, to apply for the Mpumalanga partment, administer all the bursaries
Provincial Government Bursary
Scheme for the 2014 academic
year before the closing date,” said
provincial
Education
Department spokesperson Jasper Zwane.
To qualify for the bursary, learners have to complete a bursary application form that is available at the
provincial government complex in
Riverside Mall in Mbombela or any
Riekie Trollip from Pick n Pay in White River regional Education Department of-

of the departments.” Zwane said
“Learners are also encouraged
to take advantage of other opportunities provided by government
to assist them to obtain a university qualification such as the Fundza Lushaka
Bursary Fund
and the National Student Finan-

cial Aid Scheme,” said Zwane.
SAnews.gov.za

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

Page 13

Team Ford Racing prepares for 2014 Dakar Rally
Team Ford Racing is preparing
for its assault on the 2014 Dakar
Rally in South America with an
intensive nine-day test session in
the remote desert wilderness near
Walvis Bay in Namibia. The fullscale test encompassed a complete
shake-down and set-up of the
Dakar-specification 5,0-litre V8
Ford Ranger, and featured almost
the entire local and international
Ford Racing crew including team
management, drivers and navigators, race engineers and mechanics.

“This is the first time the Dakar Ral- huge dry river bed with soft sand on Dakar. It matches a lot of the
ly Ranger has really been tested,” and lots of undulations that really Dakar stages we’ve done through
says Neil Woolridge, team manag- gives the suspension a good work- Argentina, Peru and Chile over the
er. “We did a short two-day test in out. The area is also famous for its past three years, which makes it
Pietermartizburg straight after the dune driving, plus there are vast the perfect place to test the vehicle
launch of the Dakar campaign in open rocky plains that allowed us in the right conditions,” he says.
As the lead duo for the Ford
July, but this is our first opportuni- to test the high-speed performance
ty to evaluate all aspects of the ve- of the Ranger.” Argentinian lead Racing Dakar campaign, Alvarez
hicle and focus on the race set-up.” driver Lucio Alvarez who has and navigator Ronnie Graue be“We chose this area near Walvis completed three Dakars with two lieve the Ranger is an impressive
Bay as it has a bit everything and top 10 finishes agreed. “The loca- package. “The design and chasreplicates a lot of the conditions tion was very good for training and sis are excellent and we simply
we will encounter on the Dakar,” testing because you have all the dif- need to fine-tune some aspects of
Woolridge explains. “There’s a ferent types of terrain experienced the vehicle, including finding the

perfect set-up for the suspension
and optimising the engine and
gear ratios”, Alvarez says. Chris
Visser and co-driver Japie Badenhorst were equally impressed with
the performance of the Dakarspecification Ranger in the arid
Walvis Bay test area. “This was
the first time we drove this Ranger
and it is superb. The independent
suspension gives it a much softer
ride than our SA-spec vehicle,
which makes it very comfortable”.

Keep your vehicle in top condition
It’s worth remembering these tips
every time you get behind the wheel.
They’ll help keep your vehicle
in top condition, make it more
enjoyable to drive and
can save you money.

Rundle and Mohr to contest
2014 Dakar Rally
Thomas Rundle and Juan Mohr
will compete privately in the 2014
Dakar Rally in South America in
January in the same Toyota Hilux in which Duncan Vos and
Rob Howie finished 10th in the
2012 rally. It will be their first attempt at the world’s longest and
toughest motor race and the realisation of a long-held dream for
both experienced off roaders. The
pair earned a free entry after they
won the Dakar Challenge that
formed part of the Toyota Botswana 1000 Desert Race in June.
“The Dakar Rally is the ultimate
challenge for an off road racer and

it has always been my dream to
compete in it,” said Rundle. The
30-year-old group manager of the
family-owned Barden Company in
Pretoria started his off road racing
career in 2004 in a Toyota Hilux and
is delighted to be back in a Hilux.
“I have worked closely with Glyn
Hall during my off road racing career and have received tremendous
help and encouragement from him
and his team. We concluded a deal
for me to take over Duncan’s Hilux at the end of the current season in Gauteng in November”.
With the Courtesy of QuickPic

fully engaged and the car is left in
gear. Select ‘P’ with an automatic
transmission, or first or reverse
gear with a manual transmission.

Avoid hard revving when
cold: Starting up from cold
is when most engine wear
occurs. So give your vehicle a few minutes to warm
up by using low engine
revs as you drive. When
the temperature gauge
is in the normal operating zone, your vehicle is
ready for what it does best.
Driving smoothly: The
stop-start
nature
of
city driving is hard on
cars. By adopting a
smooth,
steady
driving style you’ll dramatically re- Avoid gutters, kerbs and bumps:
duce wear on your engine, clutch, Try to avoid hitting kerbs when
transmission, brakes and tyres. parking and potholes at speed.
The impact can put the front
Always park in gear: Whenever wheels out of alignment, causing
you park, ensure the handbrake is uneven and premature tyre wear.

Keep an eye on the gauges:
Check your gauges regularly when
driving. Water temperature and oil
pressure are most important as they
monitor your engine’s vital cooling and lubrication
systems. If these gauges
move into the critical
zone, stop the car as soon
as practical and get help.
Drive for a cleaner environment: The combined
effect of all our vehicles
reduces air quality, but
we can help reduce this
environmental
impact.
Have your vehicle serviced regularly, avoid
hard acceleration and
braking, keep tyres correctly inflated and try
not to carry heavy loads.
Driving at dawn or dusk:
Make sure to use your headlights rather than parking lights.
With the courtesy of Ford
South Africa

Page 14 MOTORING

It was a weekend that promised remaining, while team-mates Leemuch and at one stage a Castrol roy Poulter and Elvéne Coetzee finTeam Toyota Yaris 1-2 looked very ished seventh in the second Castrol
much on the cards. But at the end Toyota Yaris after leading the rally
of the Toyota Cape Dealer Rally, with just two stages remaining.
which finished in Brackenfell near Between them Gemmell and PoulCape Town after two days and ter won seven of the 10 special
stages
10
special
that
stages in the
made
Durbanville,
up the
Malmesbury
172 kiand
Moorlomereesburg artres of
eas, Johnny
gravel
Gemmell
racing
and Carolyn
Swan fell just
over
1,8 seconds
the
shy of a maiden victory for the new two days. They were well2013 Yaris. Second place behind placed to push for a victory on
Mark Cronje and Robin Hough- the Saturday after finishing a
ton was enough for Gemmell and close second and third respecSwan to move into second place in tively at the end of the first day.
The results are provisional and
the championship with two rounds

‘A Castrol Team
Toyota Yaris 1-2
looked very much
on the cards’

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

subject to an appeal that Toyota Himmel from Namibia and Ar- all manufacturers’ championship.
The next round of the champiMotorsport has indicated its in- mand du Toit (Toyota Etios R2).
tention to lodge - against a deci- In addition, Toyota won the manu- onship is the Polokwane Rally in
sion to rescind a 10-second pen- facturers award for the event and Limpopo on October 18 and 19.
alty imposed on the winners for a extended their lead in the overjump start in the last of Friday’s
special stages. The sixth round of
the eight-event SA Rally Championship was a drama-filled and
exciting affair, run in cold and
windy weather on the Friday and
wet and slippery conditions on the
Saturday after overnight rain that
continued for most of the morning.
While overall victory might have
eluded them on this occasion,
Toyota claimed wins in the S2000
Challenge for older specification
four-wheel drive cars, with local
favourite Jean-Pierre Damseaux
and Hilton Auffray finishing fourth
overall in the Team Total Toyota
Auris, and in the S1600 class for
Anything you can do I can do better - Namibian teams challenged in wet Cape Rally
two-wheel drive cars with Thilo

Making its South African debut duce the new Ford design direction innovative proportions. Attentionat the 2013 Johannesburg Interna- while also showcasing future smart grabbing lines conceal a unique
tional Motor Show in October, the technologies. While you will never new format, with a four-door,
Ford Evos Concept embodies the see this car on the road, key design four-seat layout which combines
company’s new global design lan- elements and innovations will be dynamic appearance with surprisguage while providing a glimpse at applied to forthcoming Ford vehi- ing practicality. With the length of
Ford’s future technology highlight- cles,” says Ford South Africa Mar- a typical C-car, but with width of
ed by the use of cloud computing keting Manger Gavin Golightly. a CD-car, the Ford Evos Concept
The Ford Evos Concept was con- has a powerful sporting stance.
to enhance the driving experience.
“The Ford Evos Concept was ceived as a dramatic fastback, comspecifically developed to intro- bining a striking new profile with
With the courtesy of Quickpic

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

MOTORING

Page 15

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone remains in the dark

Bernie Ecclestone will not know kowsky has been jailed for taking
until next year whether he faces the “bribe” and other offences.
a criminal trial in Germany. Law- In July, the public prosecutor’s
yers representing Ecclestone office in Munich filed charges
have obtained an extension
of a deadline, set by a court in
‘Munich filed charges
Munich, to submit their full
against Ecclestone of
responses to charges against
the Formula One group CEO.
bribery and abetting’
Ecclestone is alleged to have
paid a $44 million “bribe” to
Gerhard Gribkowsky in 2006, against Ecclestone of bribery and
when the BayernLB banking ex- abetting a breach of fiduciary
ecutive was negotiating the sale duty. The Munich Higher Reof his employer’s Formula One gional Court stated that it would
shares to CVC Capital Partners, the make a decision in mid-Septembiggest current shareholder. Grib- ber on whether to proceed to trial.

Instead, a court statement last week
revealed that the Munich Higher
Regional Court will wait for additional responses to the charges, that
have been promised by Ecclestone’s legal team. The statement
also says that the composition of
the panel of judges considering
the case will shortly be changing,
and consequently the decision
on whether to go to trial “can
no longer be expected this year.”
Ecclestone, who denies any wrongdoing, is also facing a major civil
action in the London High Court relating to the same 2006 negotiations.
Autoweek

It’s a question which is becoming 6 to 7 litres, which at the current
increasingly relevant in a world price of R13,55 for a litre of 95 ocwhere footprint and the intelligent tane unleaded is almost R100, not
use of resources is becoming an im- to mention less stress and wear on
portant consideration for motoring the vehicle, and fewer emissions.
A luggage box is like having an
consumers: what size car do I need
and if I downsize can I still travel extra boot and the size varies besafely, economically and com- tween 330 and 630 litres with a
weight limit of
fortably when
up to 75 kilos.
using a trailer,
By comparison,
or – even better
the boot volume
- a roof-mounted
of a B-segment
luggage
box?
supermini is in
Depending on
the region of
the vehicle and
300 litres. Other
other conditions,
advantages of a
independent
roofbox include
testing conducted by Thule Sweden shows that a cost (depending on the model, a
roof box is worth a fuel saving of box is roughly half the price of
between five and six percent com- a trailer), it requires virtually no
pared to towing a similarly-laden maintenance, doesn’t need to be
light trailer. This makes perfect licenced, and – unlike a trailer sense as it has a lower impact on you can leave it attached to the vea car’s aerodynamic efficiency and hicle for the duration of a holiday.
That’s not a bad thing when parkalso has no mechanical drag. On
a C-segment sedan car on a round ing space at a holiday home or
trip to Durban from Gauteng, the timeshare resort is in short supply.
saving could be in the region of

Page 16

Down memory
lane with The Star

SAA to restructure in 2014

Thursday, 26 september 2013 The Bushveld Times

Test your observation skills

Many of the answers will be found in the adverts

1886 to 1889
Playing and praying
A feature of Johannesburg
was its large number of hotels
and saloons. Years later, Trelawney Ansell, a pioneer, wrote
in I Followed Gold of the triumphant entry of the town’s
first barmaid. “Word of her
coming had got ahead of her.
Tales were being spread of her
wonderful beauty, the glorious
clothes she wore, the very low
cut of her bodices, etc. Special
emphasis was also laid on how
easily she bestowed her nightly
favours – at a price. The day
came when the coach was to arrive with this beauty of the bar.
The coach arrived with the
beauty seated inside. Cheer after cheer went up as she was
carried shoulder high from the
coach to the billiard room of
the Central Hotel, there to be
regaled with iced champagne.
Then she was forced to stand
on the billiard table – in clothing that today would be thought
much overdressed, but was then
thought naughty – in corset and
voluminous drawers edged with
plenty of lace – and was sold to
the highest bidder for the sum
of 150 pounds, champagne
flowing like water meanwhile
and all laughing and enjoying
the fun”. - An extract from The
Star “Like it Was 1887-1987”

By early next year SAA, SA
Express and Mango are to be integrated into a new airline group
that in turn will form part of a new
holding company reporting to the
Department of Public Enterprises
(DPE). SAA will also review its
global network and eliminate
loss-making routes. This restructuring forms part of SAA’s new
Long-term Turnaround Strategy
(LTTS) presented to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on
Public Enterprises in Cape Town
earlier in the month. The longawaited presentation was made
jointly by Public Enterprises
Minister, Malusi Gigaba, SAA
Chairperson, Dudu Myeni, and
SAA CEO, Monwabisi Kalawe.
Of high priority, said Monwabisi,
was the recapitalisation of SAA,
a review of its global network to
eliminate loss-making routes and
refleeting to mitigate fuel costs.
He confirmed that most of SAA’s
__________________________ international routes were currently loss-making and were under
March 20 1907
review in co-operation with the
Daring Outrage – attempt
to hold up

DPE. “Management has clearly
identified loss-making routes.
We have asked DPE to identify
those that are crucial to growth
of the economy. Once these have
been identified, we’ll pull the plug
on those not deemed crucial and
that are making losses,” he said.
Apart from the airlines group, the
new holding company will include
three other sub groups: a Maintenance and Repair Organisation
(MRO) sub group that will rebuild
SAA’s aircraft maintenance capability, a Logistics sub group incorporating Air Chefs and Cargo,
and a Loyalty sub group incorporating Voyager. In order to ensure
implementation of the LTTS, a
turnaround office will be created
that, along with the Group executive committee, will report to the
CEO, who reports to the board,
which in turn reports to the DPE
and National Treasury via quarterly reports, and to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee and other
stakeholders, as required - Tourism
Update. www.tourismupdate.co.za

Trees of the Lowveld

Shortly after 1 o’clock on
Wednesday a desperate attempt
was made to hold up the branch
of the National Bank at the corThe Fever Tree or Acacia Xanthophloea
ner of Harrison and Kerk Streets.
One o’clock had gone by, the
luncheon cars to Braamfontein
had passed and the street was
rather quiet, when suddenly
shot after shot rang out, and
the people in the houses close
by rushed terrified to the doors.
The shots were soon located,
and a crowd gathered dismayed around the doors of the
unpretentious building which
serves the purpose of the bank.
Not since the attempt to hold
up the branch of the A.B.C.
Bank in Commissioner Street
has such a crime been perpetrated, and indeed JohanAcacia xanthophloea is a tree from living in the self-same swampy arnesburg has been remarkably
free from those daring crimi- the Fabaceae family and is com- eas and not by the tree itself. Fever
nal exploits, which were rather monly known in English as the Fe- trees are fast-growing and shortfrequent before and immedi- ver Tree (local East African names lived and they grow to a height of
ately after the war - An extract include Olerai, Kimwea, Murera, around 15 to 25m. The characterfrom The Star “Like it Was 1887-1987” and Mwelele). This species of istic bark is smooth, powdery and

acacia is native to Eastern and greenish-yellow in colour and the
Southern Africa and can be found tree is one of the few where phoin Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mo- tosynthesis takes place in the bark.
zambique, Somalia, South Africa,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and The characteristic holes in the bark
Zimbabwe. The tree is only found are caused by woodborers whilst
near permanent water sources monkeys and baboons eat the
such as rivers, swamps and pans. flowers, young shoots and seeds
and elephants eat the pods, leaves
The common name, Fever Tree, and branches. The bark is often
comes from its tendency to grow used by the local population for
in swampy areas. Early European treating fevers and eye complaints
settlers noted that malaria fe- and the wood, being a hard and
ver was often contracted in areas heavy, is used for building and is
where these trees were prevalent. a useful general purpose timber.
However, it was then discovered
that malaria is spread by mosquitos Wikipedia/Trees of SouthernAfrica

2 - A butcher and grill in Hazyview (8)
3 - Famous actor or performer (4)
4 - “Tides” has more than seafood (5)
5 - To knock gently (3)
6 - What liquid soap does for dishes
(6)
7 - To enquire (3)
9 - 50% discount at year end functions
(13)
10 - American slang for criminals (5)
12 - Wild Fig Buffet on a Sunday (7)
14 - A place where wild animals are
kept (3)
15 - A period of history (3)
18 - Farm Watch in an English City (9)
20 - Allow to enter (5)
21 - Often exposed when the tide goes
out (8)
23 - Colourful name of a thatch
repairer (6)
24 - Dramatic works set to music (6)
26 - Decorate or enhance with orna
ments (5)
27 -To avoid an American car (5)
28 -The highest in rank (5)

Answers will be provided in the next edition of The Bushveld Times
Edition 6 - Crossword Answers

SUDUKO

1. A cat had three kittens in January, March and May. What was
the mother’s name?
2. What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
3. What goes around the world but stays in a corner?
4. No sooner spoken than broken. What is it?
5. What is the longest word in the dictionary?
6. A truck driver is going down a one way street the wrong way,
and passes at least ten cops. Why is he not caught?
7. How many legs does an elephant have if you count his trunk
as a leg?
8. In a year, some months have 30 days, while some have 31.
Guess which month has 28 days?
9. What can you hold in your left hand and not in your right?
10. I am a married woman. John’s son is my daughter’s father.
What is my relationship to John?